St. Januarius

Their story

Januarius, known in Italian as Gennaro, was bishop of Benevento, in southern Italy, at the beginning of the fourth century. Little is known for certain about his life. According to tradition, during the persecution of the emperor Diocletian he went to visit Christians who had been imprisoned for their faith, and he too was arrested. Together with several companions he was condemned and beheaded near Pozzuoli, close to Naples, around the year 305. Januarius's relics were eventually brought to Naples, where he became the city's beloved patron. The cathedral of Naples keeps a small glass vial said to contain his dried blood. Several times a year, including on his feast day, the vial is brought out before crowds of the faithful, and the dark solid mass often turns to liquid. The Church has never officially declared this a miracle, but it allows the devotion, and the people of Naples have honored it for centuries as a sign of their saint's care for them. The people of Naples have also long prayed to St. Januarius for protection from the eruptions of nearby Mount Vesuvius. His story reminds us of the courage of the early bishops who gave their lives for their flocks.